Lyla Ashby drapes herself across the stone-paved patio of a sun-drenched villa garden with the ease of someone who has never wasted a moment being anything less than commanding. The floral print dress she wears at the start of this "Exposed" set is a deep navy swirl of bold petals and plunging neckline, the kind of dress that announces itself. Lyla reclines and poses with full knowledge of the effect she creates, her long blonde hair falling loose around her shoulders, those dark blue eyes holding the camera with unwavering intensity.
The undressing unfolds with the same quiet authority. The dress is lifted away, the heels eventually surrendered, and Lyla is left standing in the open garden, completely bare beside a white pillar, the lush green hedges framing her like the backdrop of a very private gallery. She glances back over her shoulder with a look that is more daring than shy, entirely at home in her own skin and entirely in charge of every image she inhabits. The title "Exposed" fits perfectly, though it is the viewer who feels disarmed.